RoadRunners' early goal holds up in shutout victory over Springfield

The Topeka RoadRunners needed less than four minutes Sunday night to get what would ultimately be their game-winning goal.

Topeka (19-6-2) scored at the 3:18 mark in the first period, played shutdown defense the rest of the way and defeated the Springfield Jr. Blues, 4-0, at Landon Arena.

The RoadRunners’ early goal came on a nice give-and-go play, with forward Mike Gornall feeding a pass to forward Tyler Irvine, who then deked and beat goaltender Dryden McKay.

"It was a very unselfish play by Gornall," Irvine said. "He gave it right to me, and I slid it through McKay’s five-hole."

Topeka’s last game against Springfield (11-14-1) came with a bit of a sour ending, as the RoadRunners lost the game in the final seconds. Irvine said his team was hungry to rebound against the Jr. Blues.

"We were really upset about the last loss against these guys," Irvine said, "so we were really fired up to play hard this time and get the two points."

Topeka struck again on a power play at 10:52 later in the first. Forward Sly Sutter followed up on a rebound and rifled a shot glove side high to make it 2-0.

Halfway through the second period, defenseman Will Scherer fired a quick shot on a two-on-one that beat McKay to make it 3-0. Shortly thereafter, following up on another juicy rebound, Topeka added to its lead when Cam Strong beat a diving McKay back to the left side of the net and flipped the puck into the net.

One of the RoadRunners’ keys through two periods was their solid defense, which limited the Jr. Blues chances.

"We didn’t give up a whole lot again," RoadRunners coach Scott Langer said. "That’s three games in a row now where we didn’t give up a ton of opportunities. When you’re doing that, you’re giving yourself a chance to win."

While Topeka failed to create a ton of chances in the third period, the strong defensive effort continued, allowing goaltender Matej Tomek to pick up his fourth shutout of the season.

Topeka has a quick turnaround, hosting Springfield again tomorrow at 1 p.m. Langer said his team can’t let the early start change the way they play.

"We’ve had aches and pains going on for weeks," Langer said. "Our guys are just playing through it at this point. They just need to take care of their bodies, get out there, and get it done again."

Advertising

Stay Connected

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Topeka Capital-Journal ~ 616 SE Jefferson, Topeka, KS 66607 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service